Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman’s residence after it was attacked allegedly by Karni Sena workers in Agra, Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Karni Sena members tried to storm the Agra residence of Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Ramji Lal Suman on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) morning, in protest against his alleged remarks about 16th-century Rajput ruler Rana Sanga.
Dozens of activists from the caste-centric group attacked the house located near Hariparvat Chauraha, damaging cars parked outside, breaking chairs, shattering windows, and using abusive language. Some activists arrived on a bulldozer. The police tried to disperse the crowd and used light force to bring the situation under control, with several attackers and policemen suffering minor injuries. Visuals of the ruckus and vandalism went viral on social media, clearly showing the broken chairs and windows. The MP’s family alleged that the assailants were armed with sticks, swords, rods, and other dangerous weapons.
“Since several days, threats were being issued. The administration was privy to it, but no action was taken. Instead, they were patronised. They attacked with sticks, rods, and swords,” the MP’s son, Ranjit Suman, told reporters.
Mr. Suman, a Dalit leader in the Rajya Sabha, is facing flak for terming Rana Sanga as a traitor. “Indian Muslims do not consider Babur their idol. They follow Prophet Muhammad and the Sufi tradition,” Mr. Suman said. “But I want to ask: who brought Babur? It was Rana Sanga who invited Babur to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. So, if Muslims are called the descendants of Babur, then you must be the descendants of the traitor Rana Sanga,” he said.
Violent vandalism
“Some people tried to create a ruckus outside the house of the Rajya Sabha MP. The police stopped the crowd by using mild force, and some policemen are injured,” said Mahadik Akshay Sanjay, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted at the Hariparwat police station in Agra. “Vehicles parked outside the house have been damaged and chairs are also broken. The house’s glass was broken, no other damage took place. We are in the process of registering the First Information Report (FIR) and strict action will be taken against the guilty. An additional police force has been deployed nearby to ensure peace,” he told The Hindu.
The SP president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the State government over the violence. “When the violent incident of vandalism at the house of a PDA MP by some people could not be stopped, even in the presence of the Chief Minister in Agra, then zero tolerance has to be zero. Is the Chief Minister’s sphere of influence decreasing day by day or is no one listening to the ‘outgoing CM’ now? If he is still the Chief Minister, then take immediate action and identify the culprits with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and punish them. Otherwise it will be assumed that all this against the PDA MP has happened with [the U.P. CM’s] permission,” Mr. Yadav wrote in a post on X.
‘One-sided history’
Defending Mr. Suman, the SP chief said that the MP had only tried to give an example of one-sided history and one-sided interpretation, adding that the aim was not to insult Rajput society. He accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of always using topics of history to gain political advantage and divide the country.
“The Samajwadi Party believes in social justice and the establishment of an egalitarian society. We want to ensure that even the weakest individuals receive respect. Our objective is not to insult any historical figure. The Samajwadi Party does not question the bravery and patriotism of Mewar’s King Rana Sanga. The BJP has always used some topics of history to gain political advantage and to divide the country on religious-caste basis. Our MP only tried to give an example of one-sided history and one-sided interpretation. None of our efforts are to insult Rajput society or any other society,” added Mr. Yadav.
Published – March 26, 2025 10:51 pm IST
